IRISH MURDERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 604, 26 October 1880, Page 2

IRISH MURDERS.

Smiling Diumiosures,

Some very,strange evidence concerning •the working of the Fenian Brotherhood was giver) at Roscommon on .Tuesday, on the trial-of-McHugh and Weldon for the murder of Mr Young, J.P., atCastlerea some three years ago. McHugh was,' it appeared, !' head centre" of toe Fenians in the district. ; He had a penny per head per week from the members of the organisation, and he held the. position of " armorer"- for the province of -Connaught. A meeting was held,. at which Jots were drawn who should shoot Mr Young, and it fell to the lot ef -McHugh,. who received'£i for his trouble. An informer, named Clark, -was present at those meetings, and.waa. told atterwards that he and his brothef were also to be shot, as they were suspected.; An attempt was made to administer the Fenian oath to Clark, but he refused to take it, kept the magistrates.;in' the'district informed of what was going on. McHugh told him in 1874. that they would get/a large consignment of 'guns and bayoniti

for distribution.. Clark got one.' At, the Fenian meetings the subjeot discussed waß ,the overthrow of the British Empire; what wasto be done the moment England got into a war, how many men cotlld be organised, and different details as' to' places for meeting. MoHugh said they hid • a Fenian as a servant in almost every gentleman's house in. the country, and that, the moment the rising took place these servants would throw these gentle* riieu's places open. The payment for the murder, was hot made until after the desi> was'commit ted." Then McHu'gh at onM the meetings-described how he had dona it with Weldon s large revolver, and how h» had escaped, afterwards. The subject of landlordism was often discussed at the meeting,' and it was resolved that landlords should, be first abolished, as they .were' the great prop of the Crown in Ireland, and that their overthrow would be the fir&t step towards the establishment of an Irish Republic. Clark was the foreman at the Coroner's inquest on Mr Young's remains, when a verdict against some person or persons unknown was returned, It also-appeared that on the day of the murder Mcflugh was seen near the place,'and that Wisldon drove to anothor part of the country without apparent reason, and was heard to aak The devil is shot." The trial has ex-* cited a great deal of feeling in the coun-' try, and the witnesses are escorted by the ■ police. At 'the .same assizes, the grand jury awarded a prooess-server £6oo*. compensation for the. loss of an eye, which was broken by stones -thrown from a.mob when he 'attempted .to serve notices on a farm. The process server was hunted into a house, which was afterwards carried by storm, and he was left for dead.